Only the IDM Supersport 300 (IDM SSP300) can produce stories like this: Walid Khan wins both races at Assen on his Kawasaki Ninja 400. The 19-year-old rider from NUTEC-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki celebrates his victories on the 4.555-kilometer TT Circuit in his hometown of Assen. “I only joined the IDM in Most and competed in my first race there after a one-year break,” says rising star Khan. Of the last six races, he has now won a total of four in the IDM junior series and has stood on the podium in every race since Most.
Team boss Rob Vennegoor applauded his protégé from the top step of the podium with evident satisfaction. His newly formed team, led by German technical director Frank Krekeler from Greven, celebrated a total of five victories this season. Given Walid Khan’s current form, the final tally could be even better after the big IDM finale at Hockenheim. The team with the turquoise race bikes also runs a team in the Supersport 300 World Championship.
Alongside the big winner at Assen, Khan, Kawasaki rider Angelo Licciardi (Benjan Racing/Weber-Motos) can also enjoy the podium ceremony with great satisfaction. “I rode smart today and didn’t risk everything,” says the 21-year-old Belgian. “The championship is my main goal, and it was important this weekend to pull away from my pursuers.” The young rider from Genk has achieved this goal: With the points for his fourth-place finish in the first race and his second-place finish in the second race, he has extended his lead over Rick Dunnik to 
Yamaha (ZUWI-HDRacing) to double its points total to 40.
Dunnik, on the other hand, is having a rough weekend after setting a brilliant pole position in qualifying. The 17-year-old from Staphorst crashed in the first race, but managed to finish fourth in the second. However, he hasn’t just lost ground to the leader. His pursuers are also hot on his heels in the championship standings. Ruben Bijman (Pearle Gebben Racing) has cut the gap to his brand-mate and compatriot to just one point. “I’ve had a consistent season so far, scoring points in every race and steadily improving,” says the 15-year-old Dutchman. In Assen, he delivered his best performance of the season so far with a second- and third-place finish. After the penultimate IDM weekend, he has now overtaken his compatriot Colin Velthuizen (NUTEC-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) in the interim standings. Velthuizen has now slipped to fourth place.
Assen dominator Walid Khan is already in fifth place in the standings. This means that two riders from Rob Vennegoor’s team are among the top five in the IDM Supersport 300. The team’s success at Assen was rounded out by Marvin Siebdrath from Zwickau, Saxony. Finishing fifth in the second race, he was the top German rider in the international field of the junior series.